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Somen chanpuru
Stir-fried noodles with tuna
Somen chanpuru: Okinawan fine wheat noodles stir-fried with tinned tuna and spring onion
In Okinawa, somen chanpuru (also called somen tashiya) is what a grandmother throws together when the family turns up hungry: thin somen noodles boiled for a minute, then tossed in a hot pan with tinned tuna, spring onion and a little dashi. It's a lunch or easy dinner, salty, slippery and comforting. Many Okinawan cooks use tinned pork luncheon meat instead of tuna, so check which you're being served if you avoid pork; this version uses tuna. The common mistake is not rinsing and draining the somen well, which leaves the noodles clumped into one sticky lump in the pan. Chef's tip: toss the drained noodles with a teaspoon of oil before they meet the pan, and they'll stay separate.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz dried somen noodles
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 oz tinned tuna in oildrained
- 3 spring onionscut into 4 cm lengths
- ½ tsp instant dashi powderdissolved in 2 tbsp hot water
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ⅛ oz bonito flakes (optional)to finish
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Boil 5 ½ oz dried somen noodles in a large pan of water for 1–2 minutes, until just tender. Drain, rinse under cold water while rubbing off the starch, and drain very well. Toss with 1 tsp of ⅓ tbsp vegetable oil.
4 minStep 2: Heat the rest of ⅔ tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add 5 oz tinned tuna in oil and 3 spring onions and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the onion just softens and the tuna is hot.
1 minStep 3: Add the noodles and ½ tsp instant dashi powder and toss with chopsticks for 1–2 minutes, until the noodles are hot, glossy and have absorbed the liquid.
2 minStep 4: Season with 1 tsp soy sauce, toss once more, pile onto plates and top with ⅛ oz bonito flakes if you like.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does somen chanpuru take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 3 minutes to prepare and 7 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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